A Very Potter New Year
by Blue Leah
Summary: Teddy spends New Year's Eve with his Godfamily. Written for the 2012 CoS Holiday Advent Calendar.


"Teddy!" Two-year-old Al bounced in his seat the kitchen table when his godbrother, Teddy; Teddy's grandmother, Andromeda; and Teddy's friend from school, Dana stepped out of the floo at the Potter house in the afternoon of Dec. 31.

"Thank you for keeping Teddy and Dana this evening," Andromeda greeted brushing off her robes and then the kids' shoulders.

"We love having Teddy," Harry said. He gave his godson a quick hug and then sat back down to his lunch.

"'Ve you eaten?" Ginny asked. "I made you two a sandwich each." She indicated spots next to Al and James.

"Sit down!" Al ordered.

Quietly, Dana sat down in the nearest empty chair which was next to James. Teddy went to tickle baby Lily causing her to laugh and spray him with the cheese she was eating.

"Teddy!" Andromeda scolded.

Sheepishly, he sat down next to Al who clapped his hands.

"We stay up late tonight?" James asked.

"We'll try," Teddy replied with bright eyes.

"Eat your sandwich and we'll talk about it later," Ginny said.

"Would you care to join us, Andromeda?" Harry asked.

"Thanks, but I need to get home and get ready for my party tonight. Be good, Teddy."

"Yes, Gran." Teddy said automatically already digging into his sandwich. "We're to have loads of fun tonight," he said to James, Al, and Dana after his grandmother disappeared in the flames.

"Yea!" Al squealed, giggling when Lily tried to copy.

After they finished their lunch, Lily went down for a kip. Al protested, but eventually fell asleep. They tried to get James to kip, but he would have none of it, even after being assured this would help him stay up later.

Teddy and Dana played each in Wizard's Chess while the younger kids slept. After Dana won two rounds they tried teaching James how to play. When they found this futile Dana started playing make believe with the pieces. They refused to join in so the kids decided it was time to put the set away.

About that time Lily and Al started waking up.

"'Appy Yew Near!" Al exclaimed as he was brought down the stairs by Harry.

"New Near, I mean, yew year, I mean new shoe," James tried correcting him.

"Happy New Year," Teddy said. "But, it's not New Year's yet."

"Yes it is!" Al demanded. Harry sat him on the couch next to his brother.

"Tomorrow," Dana intervened returning from the closet where she had put the set. "Tomorrow is New Year's Day. Today is New Year's Eve."

"What's that?" James asked.

"New Year's Eve," Dana explained, "is the day before New Year's. New Year's is the first day of the new year and New Year's Eve is the last day of the old year. We stay up late and ring in the new year."

"Why it's not called Old Year's Day?"

"I don't know," Dana replied with smile.

Later that night, the group gathered in the sitting room to listen to the New Year's Eve celebration from WWN hosted by their friend, Lee Jordan.

"This is the biggest hit from Celestina Warbeck," Lee announced.

Ginny gagged.

"Are you all right, Mummy?" James asked, concerned.

"Fine, Jamie," she gathered herself.

"Mummy's just listening to her favorite artist on the wireless," Harry said with a laugh.

"You like Celestina Warbeck?" Dana exclaimed.

"Of course she does. Ginny listens to her Christmas special every year."

"Harry!" She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Stop that!"

"Mummy likes 'Stina Warbeck," James sang.

"'Tina 'Beck," Al repeated.

"Sh, sh!" Teddy shushed them suddenly.

"This is his current favorite song," Dana explained.

He sent her a look.

"Take that wand and make this night magical," Teddy sang along. "You give me, me, me, me, a funny, ny, ny feeling."

Dana rolled her eyes.

"She is unable to appreciate the greatness that is Unicorn Hair."

"Yeah, that's it."

The kids and parents listened to the music, laughed, and talked the night away. Harry brought out a stash of sweets: Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, chocolate frogs, licorice wands, sugar quills, leftover treacle tart and treacle fudge, and a few pumpkin pasties. Ginny gave in with Harry saying it was New Year's Eve. The kids were trying to stay up late so a little sugar wouldn't hurt. However, it became more than just a little sugar with all the snacks.

Before 10 PM kids were bouncing off the walls. Things got a little too raucous and rambunctious Lily woke from her slumber. Instead of trying to get her back to sleep, Ginny brought her downstairs and cuddled with her in their overstuffed armchair. Caught up in the hyperness and magic of the evening Lily was now wide awake herself.

As quickly as the sugar rush came about so did the crash. Shortly after 11 eyes began to droop. Al fell asleep with his head on Teddy's lap. James tried fighting it, but he fell asleep at Teddy's feet as Teddy was sitting on the sofa. Dana laid her head on the arm of the sofa and continued a conversation with Teddy while her eyes were closed. Eventually, she petered out and her end of the conversation became heavy breathing. Lily fell asleep in her mother's arms while Harry and Ginny snuggled in their overstuffed arm chair, both falling asleep themselves.

The only one remaining awake was Teddy.

"Happy New Years, Teddy," he said quietly. "I told you I'd stay up to ring in the new year."

*Dana is first introduced in my 2010 CoS Holiday Advent Calendar entry, [url= s/5587351/1/A-Teddy-Lupin-Christmas]A Teddy Lupin Christmas.[/url] This is set in the same year, so it only makes sense she would accompany Teddy to the Potters for New Year's.


End file.
